Dearest Allura
by ebon-drake
Summary: Keith harbors a dark emptiness in him unknown to everyone but himself. This is a "What if?" spin-off scenario inspired by my story "Closer". Set sometime towards the end of DoTU with a little Go-Lion/DDP mixed in. Features the Keith x Allura pairing. Contains adult content, language, and themes. Reader discretion advised.
1. Dearest Allura, Ch 1

**Disclaimer: **Voltron and its characters, settings, and storyline are copyrighted by World Event Productions, Ltd. and Toei Animation Company. DDP comic concepts and ideas are copyrighted by Devil's Due Publishing. Cover image is a screenshot from Purrsia's website, Voltron. References to areas of the Denubian Galaxy (i.e. Azure Quadrant, Onyx Star System, etc.) are from the map developed by Shannon Muir and sanctioned by WEP. Song lyric is from the song, "Sunshine," by Lil' Flip featuring Lea from his 2004 album, "U Gotta Feel Me." All other names, places, characters, and plot bunnies are my own unless otherwise noted. I am in no way affiliated with the aforementioned companies. No monetary profit is being made from this work, and no copyright infringement is intended. Please do not do not re-post or reuse this work without obtaining my written permission first. Thank you.

**Author's Note 1:** This one-shot introspective drabble explores a "What If" scenario where Keith is more devious than he was in any of Voltron's incarnations. It also features the Keith x Allura pairing. Before anyone freaks out, I am aware that this is OOC behavior for Keith - as I said, it is a "What If" scenario. It is not my intention to vilify him and then redeem Lotor's character or something crazy like that, so relax.

**Author's Note 2:** Tweaked again as of 3/31/14.

**Dearest Allura, Ch. 1**

It was late into the night, and Keith Kogane found himself, wine glass in hand, out on the balcony of his personal quarters within the Castle of Lions.

With the exception of a few blinking lights originating from the colossal structure, it was very dark out, and a veritable sea of stars was visible to his gaze. One of Arus' moons was waxing while the other waned. The entire picturesque scene was reflected back at him by the calm surface of the surrounding lake, accompanied by the fragrant smell of greenery in the air.

Sighing in pleasure, the Voltron Force commander raised his glass to his lips and drank deeply of the dark-colored wine inside. This moment alone almost made his tortuously long journey from Earth to Doom and finally Arus worth it. He had not had the easiest of lifes nor the most privileged of upbringings, and yet here he was, a decorated officer of the Alliance, leader of an elite team, pilot of a mecha from legend, venerated by his subordinates and the people of Arus, and beloved by their crown princess.

A smile curved across his lips at the thought of the daughter of King Alfor. Oh, yes, Allura, dearest Allura. A person like her was the rarest of the rare. Not only was she beautiful and cultured, but she was also kind and exceedingly learned, with a strength of character one would not expect from someone so fragile-looking. What were the odds that a down-and-out commoner from Hong Kong would find himself the lover of royalty such as herself? A trillion to one, probably.

Keith took another drink of his beverage. It had been luck, without a doubt. He had had the good fortune of arriving at the right time and being blessed with good looks. Without both of those things, he would have undoubtedly just been another teammate to the princess. He had been taken aback when she had confessed her love for him some months ago, but the lubrication of alcohol had greatly eased the awkwardness of that situation.

He had admittedly been awestruck by her beauty when he first saw her, falling to his knees before her as if compelled as he kissed her outstretched hand. Over the subsequent months, she repeatedly demonstrated first her knowledge and virtue, and then her skills as a pilot after Sven had been taken out of commission by the witch Haggar. Her flying abilities had been shaky at first, but she improved them rather quickly. For all of her strengths, however, her weaknesses were almost as great. For wielding one of the greatest weapons in the known universe, she was shockingly timid, so afraid of making a mistake that she seldom exercised the true extent of her power. She was the heir to a planetary throne, and yet she let something as small as the opinions of others rule her. Her compassion and empathy led her to see only the best in everyone, a vulnerability that could, and often was, ruthlessly exploited. They would need to be subtle in what tactics they chose to employ, but someone could easily dominate one such as her, and Arus through her.

It was this thought the commander had had in mind when the princess' drunken confession escaped her trembling lips that fateful night. One thing led to another, and by the end of the night, they had fallen asleep in each other's arms. Again, she was a beautiful woman with many admirable traits, as well as some more regrettable ones which would prove advantageous to him, but did he love her? In another time, perhaps he could have said that he did. Unfortunately, his capacity for love had died with his fiancée when her flight crashed into the ground several months before. Beverly had meant the world to him. After he had received the news of her passing, it had felt as if his heart had stopped. It was as if a thick veneer of frost had settled across him, gradually numbing him from the outside in until he couldn't feel anything anymore. Happiness, sadness, anger... it didn't matter. Now, nothing could penetrate his armor of ice.

Nothing had mattered to him anymore, and so when Galaxy Garrison asked him about leading a suicide mission to Arus, he had accepted without any second thoughts. If successful, the payoff would be great, but if it ended in failure, then the only thing he would lose would be his life, a fate that was no worse than the living death that had been his current day-to-day life at the time. He had had nothing to lose.

While Beverly's death had deadened the pain of emotion for him, the weeks he had spent on Doom as a prisoner had taught him ruthlessness, cunning, and survival. The brutality of the experience had been truly mind-bending. He had felt an obligation towards his fellow officers, as well as realized that they stood the greatest chance of success if they cooperated together, and so he had devoted himself towards finding a solution for getting them all off that place. Beyond that, however, he had felt no further attachments to anyone or anything else; if he lived, he would fulfill his part of the bargain with the Alliance, but afterwards, the only person whose back he would have would be his own.

His calculating mind had been at work as Allura moaned like a whore and bounced on top of him. She had not been a virgin, as Lotor had personally remedied that issue, which was a bit of shame, actually; being her first would have given him even more of an edge over her, but that could not be helped. The fact that she had practically thrown herself at him while doing everything within her power to avoid his much richer and politically powerful rival further delighted him.

When they had achieved release together, the future that had been percolating in the back of his brain leapt suddenly forward, and it looked bright. That vision had not dimmed over the subsequent months, either; if anything, its clarity only improved. He would encourage the Princess of Arus' love in him and make her grow dependent on him. He was not at all concerned about the Prince Imperial of Doom's continued interest in her, for every attempt he made to recapture her only pushed her further into his own arms. He would be there to give her the comfort and solace she so desperately needed, of course. When she was finally crowned, he would whisper sweet nothings into her ear and persuade her to have the law concerning who Arusian royalty could marry changed. They would then wed, and he would become a prince consort. Afterwards, he would further wrap her around his finger until all she would be able to see was him.

The pilot of Black Lion sighed and momentarily swirled around the contents of his glass. He would contrive a way to have his influence eclipse Allura's, and with that, he would assume control over Arus and Voltron so subtly that no one would even realize it... at least not before it was much too late. There would be dissenters, of course, but if they could not be won over, then they could be discreetly disposed of. He would somehow make his subordinates see reason so that they would continue to willingly serve him. With the robotic sentinel at his disposal, there would be no one to oppose him. He could wipe out the Doom Empire for good and, if he was careful, dominate the Alliance itself. How could the princess not see the possibilities that just having Voltron in her custody could bring to her? It did not matter... _he_ saw them, and if he played his cards right, then who knew how far he would go? A satisfied smile crossed his features at the thought. If his wife later became a problem... well, she could be taken care of, too.

He raised his glass up in the air in a mock toast. Dearest Allura... He had a plan, a very ambitious plan, in mind, and her naive affection for him was the key to unlocking it. His journey from orphan to officer to royal lover would culminate in his ascension to prince consort and ultimately king, and she would be the one to make it happen. Yes, he could see it now... but he was not so foolish to assume that this fate was set in stone. He would need to execute his plan with surgical precision, and he could not be overt with his true intentions lest they be revealed prematurely. That just would not do. No, that would not do at all.

Still, he was up for the challenge. As Colonel Hawkins had stated about the original goal, this was a suicide mission; if successful, the payoff would be great, but if it ended in failure, then the only thing he would lose would be his life. There was nothing to lose, and everything to gain... such as Space Marshal Graham's control over the Alliance.

Smirking slightly, he swallowed another drink of wine and gazed out into the warm darkness of the night, lost in his dark thoughts once more.


	2. Dearest Allura, Ch 2

**Disclaimer: **Voltron and its characters, settings, and storyline are copyrighted by World Event Productions, Ltd. and Toei Animation Company. DDP comic concepts and ideas are copyrighted by Devil's Due Publishing. Cover image is a screenshot from Purrsia's website, Voltron. References to areas of the Denubian Galaxy (i.e. Azure Quadrant, Onyx Star System, etc.) are from the map developed by Shannon Muir and sanctioned by WEP. Song lyric is from the song, "Sunshine," by Lil' Flip featuring Lea from his 2004 album, "U Gotta Feel Me." All other names, places, characters, and plot bunnies are my own unless otherwise noted. I am in no way affiliated with the aforementioned companies. No monetary profit is being made from this work, and no copyright infringement is intended. Please do not do not re-post or reuse this work without obtaining my written permission first. Thank you.

**Author's Note:** I decided to continue this piece into another chapter or two, but it will still be pretty short as a whole. Also, thank you for your feedback KathDMD, Kristina Marie, DrowningBlonde, Wade Wells, and VF-Fearless on my last chapter!

**WARNING: **This chapter has smut. I tried to be tasteful with it, but if this kind of content offends you, or you are underage, please don't read any further. Reader discretion is advised.

**Dearest Allura, Ch. 2**

Underneath Keith's prone body, the Princess of Arus clutched tightly at his muscled back, her nails leaving marks on his slightly tanned skin. Her eyes were closed, but her small frame was rigid with anxiety.

"Oh, God, Keith, I'm so scared...," she whispered to him in the dimness of his personal quarters.

He stroked her golden hair with one hand as if she were a fretting animal that needed soothing. "Shh, it's okay, Allura. I'm here, and so is everyone else. I won't let him hurt you."

She swallowed before speaking again, and it was obvious that she was trying to put on a brave face, but her fear was creeping back into her words. "I know, but you're only human, and he's gotten rid of the one person who stood in his way. He now has all of the Empire at his disposal, and there's nothing stopping him from... from..."

Although she stuttered at the end of her sentence and never finished it, the Black Lion pilot knew exactly of whom she spoke. The Prince Imperial of Doom had been her relentless shadow ever since he first laid eyes on her, and his pursuit of her seemed to only grow worse after he completed his violation of her. He was an entitled and incredibly dangerous individual whom Allura had had the misfortune of igniting a spark of attraction within, and she had hardly known a restful night's sleep since.

Lotor had finally gathered the support necessary to overthrow his father Zarkon, and he sat now on his throne as the new Emperor of Doom. While he had had the strength to seize it, it would be interesting to see if he would have what it took to retain it. The resources he currently had at his disposal were almost threefold what they had been when he was just a prince. While this was certainly something take notice of, Keith did not view it in the same light that the princess did. For one thing, Lotor's interest in him was not the same as it was with her, and two, his refusal to physically harm her remained as prevalent as ever, a gaping vulnerability that was ripe for exploitation and something he was sure that the ruler was aware of, but hadn't yet done nothing about.

Perhaps he should let it slip to him that he was fucking the woman he wanted so badly that he had been willing to jeopardize his military career and reputation for, and fucking her _hard_. Keith could almost see the rage that would enter the Drule's felinoid eyes at this news, a rage that would probably be so uncontrollable that he would do something incredibly rash. For a brief moment, he entertained the idea of what the fledgling emperor would do if informed that Allura was pregnant with his child. She was on birth control, but Lotor didn't need to know that little fact. The pilot had to conceal a grim smile that threatened to slide across his face at the thought. Allura seemed to notice the subtle shift in his mood.

"What is it?" she asked, a sudden urgency entering her voice at the thought of a possible new and unseen threat.

He quickly smoothed his features into an expression that bespoke nothing but calm concern. "It's nothing, Allura. I was only thinking of what more we could do to combat him and his forces. Don't worry, you're safe now, and you will remain so if I have anything to do with it. Even when I get transferred back to Earth, I will always find a way to protect you."

As he knew they would, his words caused panic to seize up her slim body. The poor little daughter of King Alfor was so dependent on his presence that a mere reminder of its impermanence on Arus was enough to frighten her. He was, after all, excellent at his job, and what was more, without him, the Arusians would need to find a new pilot that Black Lion would find acceptable, and with no such person, then there would be no one to fly it and therefore no Voltron.

"They wouldn't do that," she whispered again, sounding very vulnerable, "The Lions have already accepted everyone else as their pilots, and we still need you... I... still need you..." Her voice became choked, and she then shakily added, "I love you..."

Keith had to stop himself from sighing in exasperation, and instead said, "And I love you, too."

The lie rolled off of his tongue easily. He now knew love to be illusory, a fairy tale that the naive and weak used to shelter themselves against the painful truth of life. While the princess was naive, she was certainly no fool, and she was no stranger to brutality. Her entire lifetime had been consumed by war; even if her emotions for him were misguided, who was he to deny her something that gave her happiness, however fleeting? Especially when that happiness would potentially yield him great rewards.

Her crystalline voice became suddenly small, almost childish. "I wish that we could stay like this forever."

The commander merely smiled as he continued to run his fingers through her hair reassuringly.

"God willing," he responded piously.

No matter what, the idea had to seem to come from her; anything else would garner unnecessary suspicion, and then his whole strategy would be blown sky-high before it even had the chance to bear any further fruit.

Allura's next words were hesitant, but her desire was clear. "If we were to make this arrangement permanent, then they wouldn't be able to take you away from me, and _he_ wouldn't be able to-"

Her words then died in her throat as they usually did whenever the topic of Lotor was brought up.

He widened his dark eyes in faux shock at her. "What are you saying, Allura?"

She bit her lip for a moment, but then her mouth became a determined line. "I'm saying that if we were married, then you would be able to stay on Arus permanently."

"What?!" Keith almost jolted away from her, as if his shock at the prospect of the two of them being bound together in such an official manner was just too much to process at the moment.

Allura rose up from underneath him so that they were once again eye-level with each other. "I-I know this is sudden, but with the direction our relationship is going, this just seems like the next logical step... I thought that this was something you would have wanted, as well."

His eyes darted to his sides for a moment. "Well, yes, but... I mean, I love you, this is just a lot to take in..."

She smiled encouragingly and placed a light kiss on his lips. "I know, but I really think it would work out. We both love each other, and the people practically worship you."

At her words, he began to tremble as if overcome with the emotions he was feeling. However, his soul and mind were ablaze with the fire of triumph. This was it, the moment he had been waiting for, the second step of his master plan, and it had been her idea. And she was right - the people did in fact worship him. He was so beloved that he was almost perceived to be incapable of any wrongdoing; all the more reason to take extreme care with where he trod with her. It was all he could do not to simply laugh out loud in delight.

Instead, he let out a choked utterance. "Oh, sweetheart..."

Allura kissed him again, molding her lips hungrily against his own. He briefly returned it before suddenly breaking away from her.

"But, would Coran allow it?" he asked worriedly.

As it was designed to do, the query frustrated her, making her features settle into a frown at the reminder that she was at the mercy of her governess and prime minister, at least for the time being. Although her lack of confidence in herself made her reliant on the reassurance and guidance given to her by her caretakers, she also despised not being her own person and making her own decisions. She hated being confined in this figurative cage, and yet she was loathe to explore beyond it. He found this paradox to be puzzling and tedious, almost laughable. Fortunately, it was human frailties such as these that would make his goals all the more easier to achieve.

"I will talk to him when the appropriate time comes... my coronation is not too far away from now. I will have the leverage necessary then to persuade him and the others that you are the best option for me as well as Arus, even if you don't come from royalty or nobility. No one can deny everything that you have done for this planet."

Keith felt so giddy that he was almost breathless, and so he chose to embrace her lest the expression on his face betray his true thoughts. "You would make me the happiest man in the universe."

She indulged him in his hug for a moment before gently pushing him away from her. Her gaze was apprehensive, and she searched his countenance as if she could divine an answer from his eyes alone.

"You do want this, don't you? To spend the rest of our lives together?"

His fingertips traced soft lines on the plane of her cheek as he brought his face closer to hers.

His words were just above a whisper when his lips brushed over her own. "I love you, Allura, and I would die for you. To spend the rest of my life with you and make you happy is my fondest wish."

She relaxed somewhat at his declaration of love for her. "Oh, Keith..."

She sought his lips once more, and their kiss became more heated. Her tongue slipped out of her mouth and into his, gliding tantalizingly along his teeth and tongue while his hands moved down her back in caressing circles and towards her taut buttocks. Meanwhile, hers trailed lightly down his chest and abdomen and towards his cock. Keith inhaled deeply as her talented fingers began to stroke his length. Although Lotor had stolen her virginity, he really owed him a huge debt of thanks; not only was she insanely dependent on him because of the solace and peace of mind he provided her in response to the former prince imperial's endless pursuit of her, but she had also learned some impressive bedroom skills, presumably from her brief captivity with him. What was the phrase? A lady in the streets, a freak in the sheets? He almost smiled at that irreverent thought, but instead, he deepened the kiss he had her locked in and leaned into her so that her back was flat on his bed once more. In the subsequent foreplay that followed, his imagination began to blossom, and his sense of sight and smell seemed to heighten. He could almost see himself already seated on the throne, and the sweat that was beginning to bead his brow became the sweat resulting from the exquisitely heavy burden of a crown on his head. He gloried in the knowledge that it was his tune that the future monarch of Arus was dancing to, and soon, everyone else would join her in this grand masquerade.

Suddenly, Keith became even harder, and then he couldn't wait any longer. He drove his erection deeply into her waiting and very willing pussy, making her gasp in pained pleasure. He took hold of her legs and pushed her thighs back until they were almost touching her stomach so that he could plunge even further into her. Shuddering in satisfaction, he tightened his grip on her ankles and began moving, slowly at first and then picking up speed until he was pounding her, establishing a brutal rhythm that soon had her breasts swaying and her mewling in pleasure. Her cries became so loud that she had to silence herself by biting down on the knuckles of her left hand. Although it would be highly counterproductive for him if the two of them were caught, the idea nonetheless excited him, and his thrusts became deeper and rougher. After a few more minutes, he felt her spasm around his length and come on him, and with a final thrust, he soon joined her in a mutual feeling of bliss that overpowered all.

Breathing heavily, he momentarily rested his head on her heaving breasts while she affectionately smoothed a hand over his black hair. He eventually rose up from her and looked at her with a gentle smile that contrasted strongly with the roughness of their lovemaking. She returned his expression before placing a final kiss on his lips and then motioning for him to move from her so that she could get up from the bed.

She looked at the electronic display of his alarm clock before laughing quietly to herself and wrapping a light-colored robe around her nude body. "I didn't realize that so much time had passed! I better get going before someone realizes that I'm missing."

Concern immediately created new lines in his forehead. "Be careful on your way back."

In response, a brilliant smile lit up her features, once again reminding him why she was widely considered to be one of the most desirable women in the Denubian Galaxy. Her gaze seemed to be filled with a newly discovered contentment.

"I will be. See you again in a few hours. Love you."

The creases in his brow promptly disappeared. "Okay, and likewise. Love you, too."

And with that, the figure of Allura fled from his presence and back to her personal apartments via unseen ways.

A few seconds after his door slid shut, the smirk he had been hiding all night finally surfaced. This was too perfect. Everything was falling into place. It would be very easy at this point to become overconfident and careless, but fortunately for him, he was a patient man. He could wait for his plans to come to fruition, especially when the reward was as substantial as his promised to be.

His eyelids began to feel heavy, and soon sleep overtook him. Grandiose visions that only he could see filled his mind while the fading echoes of Beverly's last words of love to him filled his ears, but he would not remember that particular detail when he finally woke; he never did.


	3. Dearest Allura, Ch 3

**Disclaimer: **Voltron and its characters, settings, and storyline are copyrighted by World Event Productions, Ltd. and Toei Animation Company. DDP comic concepts and ideas are copyrighted by Devil's Due Publishing. Cover image is a screenshot from Purrsia's website, Voltron. References to areas of the Denubian Galaxy (i.e. Azure Quadrant, Onyx Star System, etc.) are from the map developed by Shannon Muir and sanctioned by WEP. Song lyric is from the song, "Sunshine," by Lil' Flip featuring Lea from his 2004 album, "U Gotta Feel Me." All other names, places, characters, and plot bunnies are my own unless otherwise noted. I am in no way affiliated with the aforementioned companies. No monetary profit is being made from this work, and no copyright infringement is intended. Please do not do not re-post or reuse this work without obtaining my written permission first. Thank you.

**Author's Note**: Thank you, Cubbieberry, KathDMD, Kristina Marie, 1868, and DrowningBlonde for your guys' kind comments in regards to my last chapter! Also, a big thanks to the folks who have faved and/or followed this piece.

**Dearest Allura, Ch. 3**

Although the pilot of Black Lion and the princess had become engaged, it was a secret to everyone but themselves at the moment. It had to be, and not just because it was important for the success of Keith's deviously complex plans.

Besides the inevitable objections that Coran and the surviving aristocracy would have raised if they knew about it, there was also the fact that Arus was still embroiled in a war for its independence from the Empire. The last surviving heir of Alfor announcing her intent to marry would be big news to everyone; an announcement of her intent to marry a commoner who was not even from the same star system as Arus would be a piece of news so huge, it would potentially serve as a fatal distraction in a moment when focus was critical, and no one could afford to be distracted during a time like this, not while Doom remained a threat. And so the commander dutifully wore her ring on a chain around his neck underneath his clothing, and Allura did the same with his. He noted with wry amusement the way she seemed to glow as she went about her day-to-day routines after the night she had proposed to him in such an unorthodox manner.

Keith decided that that was her biggest weakness - she left herself too vulnerable. As a high queen, she would have a need to draw her strength from within and place herself above the pettiness and worthless opinions of others. She should stand alone, a stately and enormous tree in an endless sea of swaying grass. At the same time, she could not afford to completely disregard the opinions of key people, like Coran, or she would risk alienating them and losing their support, but if she were to become more experienced in the areas of statecraft and diplomacy, then she would be able to implement the changes that she wanted without unduly ruffling too many feathers, or even make them think that it was their idea in the first place. Changes such as her desire to break free from Arusian tradition and marry a commoner. However, she had a long way to go before she reached that point; she remained too affected by the actions and words of other people, as demonstrated by the powerful impact that he himself had on her.

After their impromptu nighttime engagement, life more or less went on as usual, with the people of Arus rebuilding their civilization at a snail's pace; while the Alliance had been more than happy to send over an elite but broken group of men to help locate the Lions, the galactic federation had been more close-fisted with its supplies. Progress against Doom went somewhat slower. The commander of the Voltron Force knew that the new emperor, while still foolish in how he went about his desire for Allura, was not stupid, and that he had had the resources to defeat Voltron when he had taunted them initially from the visuals inside Castle Control. It was his refusal to take undue advantage of the princess' weaker flying skills and destroy Blue Lion with her still inside it that had allowed the mechanized guardian to achieve victory the number of times that it did after Yurak met his demise at the end of the Blazing Sword. The pilot of Black Lion had been more than willing to take advantage of this weakness, and in truth, he had had to. This weakness was the only thing that really allowed the people of Arus to continue drawing breath. If Lotor were ever to successfully get his hands on Allura and keep her, then it was all over. Even if another pilot was able to be found from among the Arusians or the Alliance that Blue Lion would accept into the recesses of its cockpit, the former prince imperial would have no need to continue staying his hand now that he had what, or rather whom, he wanted. While Voltron was a powerful weapon whose true potential had probably not even yet been fully realized, it still had numerous single points of failure that could shut the mecha down completely if exploited in just the right way. He had already abducted her once for a short while in the past, and he was becoming more determined and closer to success in gaining permanent access to her. And now, he had even more resources at his disposal to do what he wanted as the Emperor of Doom.

It was now a race against time. The princess would either need to assume the role of High Queen before getting married and rule from the confines of the Castle of Lions while a replacement pilot flew Blue Lion, or Doom would need to be defeated. To be honest, it probably would not even matter if Allura was married, for Lotor had shown no qualms in his previous abduction attempts of her, going so far as to even fake her death. What would it matter to him if she were already technically bound to another man? The Drules had never exactly shown a tendency to play by or even recognize the rules of the Alliance. Everything boiled down to a single, indisputable truth: a civilization was going to fall, and it was going to be either the Doom Empire, or Arus and then the Alliance afterwards. Although he did not fear death, Keith did not intend to be the one to go down.

For allowing herself to be so vulnerable while also suffering the effects of being constantly besieged by the former prince imperial, the Princess of Arus was holding up remarkably well. Her compassion and moral convictions remained unflagging, although fatigue was beginning to show somewhat in her doll-like features. He had also noticed her visiting Dr. Gorma more frequently than she had in the past. A lesser person would have probably cracked or crawled into a bottle from all of the pressure she was undoubtedly experiencing. Although he was ultimately taking advantage of her and her people for the sake of gaining the throne and control of Voltron, Keith had to admit that he admired her for her resiliency. If he was still capable of love, then he would have undoubtedly given it to her. For all of her faults, Allura was incredible, a beacon of light and hope given human form. She inspired devotion and adoration in most people that she came across. His inner void was the only thing that rendered the more wondrous effects of her presence on him null. All he was capable of now was admiring her in the same way that a person would admire a particularly beautiful and inspirational piece of art.

Besides the halo effect of their love for her departed sire, it was easy to see why her people felt as strongly about her as they did. It was this affection that Keith hoped the princess would successfully harness as a device to sway the opinions of the more influential nobles of Arus. With a delicate touch and the right words, she could get her way but still retain their support. If she alienated them, then they could always move to supplant her with another family, most likely her aunt Queen Orla and her descendants, but at the same time, Allura had custody of Voltron. Without Voltron, then the people of Arus were as good as dead. If she ever began to contemplate this power of hers, she would undoubtedly be in a better bargaining position than the one she currently occupied. In the end, however, this was not a good time for the Arusians to bicker. Any crack in the defenses of the blue planet was another opportunity for Lotor to take advantage of. While Keith desired to eventually dominate Arus, he did not want to destroy what remained of it's infrastructure.

At long last, the date for Allura's coronation neared. Within the span of a month, Allura would turn 21 and be crowned the Queen of Altair and the High Queen of Arus. It would also be around this time that she would be expected to announce whom she intended to have as her consort, and this was when she would disclose her secret engagement and persuade everyone that he truly was the best choice for her and Arus as a whole. The princess became increasingly nervous as the big day crawled closer and closer, and no amount of massages or lovemaking could get her to relax. Keith became concerned with this, for if she was not poised and gracious when the time came to address her council, then the odds of her successfully persuading them would be dramatically reduced.

However, before he could speak with her in private about this issue, the unthinkable happened again - Allura was stolen by the dark emperor despite all of the heightened security measures taken to protect her, and the odds of getting her back this time did not look good.


	4. Dearest Allura, Ch 4

**Disclaimer:**Voltron and its characters, settings, and storyline are copyrighted by World Event Productions, Ltd. and Toei Animation Company. DDP comic concepts and ideas are copyrighted by Devil's Due Publishing. Cover image is a screenshot from Purrsia's website, Voltron. References to areas of the Denubian Galaxy (i.e. Azure Quadrant, Onyx Star System, etc.) are from the map developed by Shannon Muir and sanctioned by WEP. Song lyric is from the song, "Sunshine," by Lil' Flip featuring Lea from his 2004 album, "U Gotta Feel Me." All other names, places, characters, and plot bunnies are my own unless otherwise noted. I am in no way affiliated with the aforementioned companies. No monetary profit is being made from this work, and no copyright infringement is intended. Please do not do not re-post or reuse this work without obtaining my written permission first. Thank you.

**Author's Note**: Thank you for your feedback on my last chapter, Sunshineleo, Drowningblonde, and Cubbieberry! Thank you also to the folks who have faved and/or followed this piece.

**Dearest Allura, Ch. 4**

All of Arus was thrown into a panic over the theft of its crown princess, that is, everyone except for Keith.

He was most definitely concerned about the absence of his fiancée, for it would have several ramifications on a number of things; the fate of Arus and Voltron for one, and the success of his carefully laid out plans, for another. But he did not panic. Rather, he went into planning mode, and he mentally mapped out the priorities of this new situation. While it was regrettable that Allura was in Lotor's clutches and a rescue would be attempted later, but only after the defenses of Arus were secured and if it were still feasible. This meant finding a new pilot for Blue Lion so Voltron could be formed again. However, there was no time to scour the Arusian populace or put in a request to Garrison for her replacement. The Emperor of Doom would undoubtedly strike hard and strike fast now that he had her; after all, that is what he would do were he in his shoes.

Lotor, however, seemed to be taking his time, and it could only be because he was still fixated on the idea of persuading the princess to see the light and realize that he was the only person who could make her happy and that no one could possibly love her the way he did. The Voltron Force commander snorted in disgust at the thought. He was right though; certainly no one obsessed about her the way that he did. The man was formidable, though, with a ruthlessness and talent for strategy that the pilot had not witnessed in a foe for a very long time. While the former prince imperial and he had their obvious differences, Keith respected the man for his abilities even as he hated him for what his people did to him and his subordinates when they had been captured after leaving Earth for their long journey to Arus. But no matter how bountiful his natural talents were, they were wasted if he let someone else have such power over him. It was almost laughable. There was nothing stopping him from doing whatever he wanted to her as hard as he wanted and for as long as he wanted now that she was his captive once again, and yet he continued to be a veritable slave to her. Did Allura even realize the power she held over him, the one person who had almost the entire Denubian at his fingertips? Keith snorted again. If he were in her place, he would use this influence over the son of Zarkon to either manipulate him or kill him in his sleep. But the princess would undoubtedly shrink away from the idea of soiling her honor or stooping to so low a level, even if it was for a solution that could potentially save her and her people. The Black Lion pilot was momentarily tempted to simply leave her at whatever location she was being kept at, but in the end, it would be more counterproductive than productive if she remained in Lotor's grasp.

And so Keith pulled the necessary strings to borrow Sven from the warm embrace of Allura's cousin Romelle on Pollux to pilot Blue Lion until the day the Arusian princess was returned. The Skandinavian man was now completely healed from the devastating attack Haggar had launched on him all those months ago, at least physically; mentally, it was a completely different story. Sven had been a hair's breadth away from death, but an amazing personal resiliency in addition to some of the most advanced medical technology in the galaxy had saved him. But Sven had seen things... heard things... experienced things... more so than Hunk, Pidge, Lance, and he himself had. They had all been to that place of hell once; the Norseman had been there twice, and for a long time the second time around. But however internally scarred he was, Blue had found him acceptable before Allura had taken over for him, and so it accepted him again with few issues.

Keith used the time of the princess' absence to further endear himself to the Arusian populace, becoming a paragon of nobility and virtue in a time of extreme conflict, a veritable knight in the trappings of a modern day warrior. Coran and the rest of the members of the aristocracy leaned on him more than ever, and the commander did not deter them in this. Like he did with Allura, he subtly encouraged them in their dependency on him until they were no longer able to function without him. By the time she came back, if she did at all, that is, then they would have an increasingly harder time refusing her wish to marry him when she finally revealed it.

* * *

Against all odds, a rescue effort was eventually able to be mounted for the Princess of Arus, and it was successful. After all of the shouts of welcome and the necessary medical screenings, the pilot of Black Lion was finally able to spend some time alone with her at night, but he was shocked at just how much she had changed in her brief captivity. How long had it been? One week, two weeks? Judging by the steely look in her eyes, it might as well have been years.

She stood in a patch of moonlight that filtered in through the floor-to-ceiling length windows in his quarters, a forbidding gorgon whose beauty inspired fear instead of lust or adoration. Without any further words, she untied the belt that secured her robe around her waist and allowed the garment to drop to the floor, revealing her statuesque body as she began to stride towards him, only this time, there was no ring hanging from a delicate chain on her neck.


End file.
